Psychoanalysis

What is Psychoanalysis?

Psychoanalysis, originally called “the talking cure,” is the basis of all talk therapies. It is founded on the notion that most of us are unaware of many of the internal factors that cause distress and influence our current behavior and emotions.

Becoming aware of these emotions and internal influences can free us to make better decisions in our life and to create better, more useful and effective ways of relating to others and to ourselves. This leads to more life satisfaction and to more satisfying and meaningful relationships. Additionally, when we have more clarity about our own motivations, needs and desires, we eliminate internal conflicts; and even painful situations become more manageable and less debilitating.

What are the Benefits of Psychoanalysis?

If you would like to:

Improve personal relationships

Increase satisfaction and pleasure in your life

Get relief from painful emotional problems

Overcome traumatic experiences

Prevent your past from interfering with your future

Stop self-destructive patterns of behavior and thinking

Become more creative and free in all aspects of your life

Enjoy your work more fully

Feel more in control of your life direction and relationships

Understand yourself and feel understood

then Psychoanalysis may be right for you. Please read on…

Although Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, has been the subject of much conflict and controversy, modern psychoanalysis still reflects his most basic idea–that talk therapy leads to greater freedom to live, love, work and play with more joy and satisfaction.

Psychoanalysis is also focused on personal empowerment and responsibility and at its core is intended to alleviate suffering and pain. Psychoanalysis takes into account human development and the importance of the human mind in all its complexity and diversity.

Psychoanalysis can help to uncover aspects of your life story that affect and limit how you live. This approach validates the notion that each of us has a “life narrative” that guides how we see and experience the situations and people in our lives. Sometimes aspects of our life narrative are destructive in that they prevent us from seeing and experiencing other possibilities that can bring more success, joy, peace and satisfaction in life and relationships.

How Does Psychoanalysis Work?

The value of psychoanalytic treatment is generated through a long term, consistent non-judgmental, relationship with an analyst (therapist) who is working not only to understand and make sense of your story and experience, but also to introduce different possibilities that might not have been possible based on early life lessons, experiences and coping mechanisms that no longer serve you. Anxiety and depression may also resolve as we get at some of their underlying causes.

Psychoanalysis is an intense treatment generally consisting of three to five weekly meetings in my office.Through careful listening and understanding, I will help you to discover aspects of yourself that might be limiting or harmful, and to try on alternative ways of thinking and being that are more useful to your current and future life; ways that can help resolve for good long-standing struggles that have kept you stuck and discouraged.

At times, we may explore ways that you are impacted by our interactions that can reveal surprising new ways of viewing motivations and behaviors and can often lead to relief from long standing internal struggles. The multiple weekly session format is a key component in allowing such revelations to occur.

Is Psychoanalysis right for you?

If you are curious about psychoanalysis and how you might benefit, I would be happy to talk with you about the benefits and risks related to this type of treatment and what an analysis might entail. Please call or email me to see what kind of treatment might be right for you.